First Thanksgiving Facts: When Was It? What Did They Eat?

Turkey was likely on the menu

By William White, InvestorPlace Writer Nov 22, 2017, 10:00 am EDT November 21, 2017

Here are some first Thanksgiving facts to help you get ready for the holiday.

First Thanksgiving Facts: When Was It? What Did They Eat?

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We’ll start off this collection of first Thanksgiving facts with the most important detail of all: what was served at the first Thanksgiving. To say we know everything that the first pilgrims ate alongside the Native Americans would be a stretch, but we do know some of the specifics.

Documents from the era record that among the food at the first Thanksgiving were five deer brought by the Native Americans. The pilgrims also spent the days prior to the feat hunting fowl for the big event. This likely means turkey was on the menu, but could also include duck, goose and swan.

It may be shocking to learn that some staples of the holiday weren’t likely eaten at the first Thanksgiving. For example, stuffing wouldn’t have been cooked with the turkey, but rather vegetables. Corn was also plentiful at the time, but would have been ground down into a porridge, rather than eaten off the cob. There are wasn’t any pumpkin pie or potatoes at the first Thanksgiving.

What may come as a surprise are some of the items that were at the table during the first Thanksgiving. For example, its very likely that seafood was served for the feast. This may seem strange to some, but the early pilgrims ate what they could and fish was something they had easy access to.

Here’s the final first Thanksgiving day fact: the feast that started it all took place in November 1621. You can head to History.com to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving.

If you still have an appetite for Thanksgiving fun, you can check out the various links below.

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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